The documentation for java.lang.annotation.Retention contains this paragraph:

"A Target meta-annotation has effect only if the meta-annotated type is use directly for annotation. It has no effect if the meta-annotated type is used as a member type in another annotation type."

It looks as if this was copy/pasted from java.lang.annotation.Target (where it would also make sense) but without changing Target to Retention. The text does not appear in Target today but I'm guessing it did at some time in the past.

Also, "is use" should be "is used".